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For the last three weeks, a homeless man who goes by the name of John has been living under the Pontchartrain Expressway -- near Carondelet and Calliope streets. A driver gave John $100. John said he used part of the money to buy a Christmas tree and decorations for his extended family living on the streets.

“It's a Christmas tree, fully decorated. It ain't past the 25th. Anybody with common sense would know it's not trash,” John said. “My purpose was to bring hope, restore hope and smiles.”

However, John and others told WDSU that when the city trucks came rolling through the area early Friday on a regular cleaning run, workers took the tree – not once, but twice.

“First time they threw it in the back of the dumpster,” John said. “One of the guys I let sleep in my tent, he went over and grabbed it.”

A man living under the highway said he tried to save it.

“I saved it once, but then I went to the store to get a soda, and they got it,” Dave said.

John said he attempted to chase the truck to get his Christmas tree. He wasn’t successful.

“They doubled back and grabbed it, and I had ahold of it and ran from the end to right where the red light is, a half a block, ahold of it, and the proceeded to crush it while my hands were in there,” John said.

Dave, holding a single ball ornament from the tree, said, “That's all we have left of the tree. When they put it in the truck, they dropped this. Merry Christmas.”

WDSU contact city officials Friday morning, inquiring about the Christmas tree taken from underneath the Pontchartrain Expressway. A representative said the tree was a code violation and was removed.